Status: Confused!
by ellaygee
Summary: first story; Things go south for our boys when a surprise attack leaves one feeling a bit off. Second one shot now added. This time, it's poison!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, there! Long time lurker, first time poster :) I have been working on a novel for a while, but have hit quite a few roadblocks writing certain parts of it. I thought I could so some fun practice here, writing things I am uncomfortable with generally, such as violence. All constructive criticism is welcome, don't hesitate to point out anything terrible, but you know…nicely.** **I do plan on doing more STATUS! features in the future, so feel free to make requests ;)** **Also, to my understanding, I am supposed to say that I do not own these characters, or the particular features used in pretty much all Final Fantasy Games. I highly doubt people would pay me for this anyway, but hey, rules are rules. I don't own anything. This is fun. Yay.**

"Man, it's hot," Noctis billowed his shirt out repeatedly in an effort to cool himself, sneering a little when he let it drop and the fabric immediately stuck to his sweaty flesh.

Gladio smirked to himself, refraining from his usual commentary regarding the Prince's scrawny frame. Besides, it was hot. They were all miserable. He paused, taking a swig of water and wiping some of the sweat from his brow. He stumbled back a pace at the sudden flash and whir of Prompto's camera. With a mock angry face, he playfully swiped at the blond youth, who danced out of his striking distance with a smile.

"Come on, Gladio, I couldn't resist. This lighting, the way the sun was catching all those beads of sweat-"

"Yeah, yeah, kid, I get it. I missed my calling as some sort of male model. How about a little warning next time? That way I can pose for you." Gladio demonstrated by striking a classic 'hero' pose and grinning widely at the now grimacing photographer.

"Nah, that takes all the realism out of it. I want candid shots. Ya know, really show who you are. I mean, in reality, you're only about half the jackass you appear to be now."

Up ahead, Ignis cleared his throat, and the two men chuckled upon finding both the advisor and Prince watching them from a short distance away. Ignis frowned at them deeply. "If you two wouldn't mind keeping up, we have a lot of ground to cover before the sun sets."

"Sorry, Iggy!" Prompto smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head before doing a short jog up to the other two men. Gladio smiled to himself, shaking his head, and continued keeping rear guard as they journeyed on.

Thanks to Ignis's constant reminders to keep on track, they ended up making it to the haven an hour ahead of schedule, much to everyone's relief.

Noctis and Prompto were having a good time setting up the tents; roughhousing and generally not getting anything done. Ignis stoked the fire while mentally going over the travel plans for the next day. Gladio was taking a well deserved break in the shade.

Eventually, the campsite was all set up, and they were hunkering down by the fire, tossing around the subject of dinner.

"Well, I do have a new recipe that I would like to attempt, however I am missing a vital ingredient."Ignis sighed as he rummaged through the rucksack of vegetables.

"I'm ok with cup noodle." Gladio offered from his seat by the fire.

Prompto nudged him as he passed behind the big man. "We know, Gladio, we know. Buuuut, some of us actually like real food."

"Ramen is real food." Gladio glared at the snickering youth from behind his book.

Noctis laughed quietly as he played Kings Knight. Ignis huffed to himself, then said a little gruffly "Some of us should volunteer to do the cooking now and again."

Prompto laughed again, "True true, but you're just so darned good at it, Iggy. And don't lie; it's not like you don't love it. I guess I could be a little more helpful, though. I was planning on going out and getting a few shots of the sunset. Maybe I can find some of what you're missing while I'm out?"

Ignis perked up at this, and brought out a map of the area. "Hmm, yes, actually there is a spot about two miles from here." He pointed to the section of the map. "Do you think you can get out there and back before the sun fully sets?"

Prompto studied the map for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, sure. I bet I can get some great shots from here," he said, pointing to a small cluster of hills and trees near where Ignis was indicating.

"Whaddya say, Noct? You ready to help me get some killer shots?"

"Nah, I think I'm gonna stay here and beat your high score."

"Yeah, right, good luck!"

"I already blew past your lame ass about a thousand points ago." Noctis was furiously pressing buttons now, and had that look of concentration on his face that he got when fighting especially difficult daemons.

Gladio stood and gripped the disappointed boy's shoulder, giving him a playful shake. "I'll go with you, runt. Grab your camera."

"Oh, man, thanks, Gladio! You're sure you don't mind?" He excitedly gathered up his camera equipment, singing the Chocobo song quietly to himself.

"Yeah, I don't mind, cause I'm sure you're gonna get yourself into trouble out there without me."

Prompto pulled an exaggerated pout as the three other men laughed.

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Gladio smiled to himself as his hyper companion flitted about, taking photos of practically everything that moved, and a lot of things that didn't. His way of keeping the youth on track was similar to the stoic advisor's; striding at a steady pace in the right direction, hollering out an occasional "Prompto!" when the kid wandered off too far, or stayed behind too long.

Admittedly, when he first met the energetic gunslinger, he was not a fan. Of course, he wasn't that big of a fan of Noctis at the time, either. Even though the young prince had proved himself early on, that didn't make him any less of a punk ass kid when he was a teenager. Hanging out with the hyper active amateur photographer did not help improve his image any, and on more than one occasion, he had considered dropping them both off the highest tower in the palace.

But, over the years, the blond chocobo lover had wormed his sneaky little way into the big man's heart. Now, out on the road, he kind of feels like the boy is almost a surrogate little sibling. He and Iris shared certain qualities; their irrepressible optimism, zest for life, and genuine good nature. The fact that neither one of them treated him like the big scary man he is, both infuriated and warmed him.

They had passed the food spot about a mile ago, having decided to circle back to it later. Right now, they were ascending a small hill, and if he didn't know any better, Gladio would say they were walking into the sun itself.

Not quite set, but starting to, the sun hung low over the small pocket of woods nestled into the side of the hill. Prompto whistled low and jogged ahead, exclaiming over the pink and orange streaks painting the sky.

He was standing, framing photos with his outstretched hands, thumbs and fore fingers creating a rectangle. As Gladio approached, he whirled around and mimed taking photos of the big man as he cracked a smile.

Gladio shook his head and gestured towards the sun dappled trees and soft hills. "Sure is pretty."

"Yeah." Prompto's tone was wistful as he surveyed the lightly swaying trees closest to them. He smiled up at his friend and lightly bumped him with his shoulder. "So, uuhhhh, how about a little help? I was wanting to get up there," he pointed to a particular tree branch towards the top of the reaching limbs.

"Yeah, sure, come on."

They approached the tree and Gladio leaned down, interlocking his fingers. Prompto smiled, and with a little jump and a "Here we go!" he leapt into Gladio's hands and the larger man launched him in the air.

Prompto crowed his patented victory tune and bounced on the balls of his feet when he landed on the branch without so much as a lurch or stumble.

"Stop showing off. It'll be dark soon, and I'm getting hungry."

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha." Prompto waived a hand in dismissal as he began weaving his way between the branches, going a bit higher. Gladio trailed on the ground under him, watching the boy's steps, cringing every time he faltered. Of course, the boy never even noticed these misssteps himself as he hummed and ducked and climbed, pausing here and there to line up and take a shot.

He was just about to call out to the boy again, when Prompto froze. He was absolutely still for a few moments, then, ever so slowly, he lifted his camera, aimed, and shot. Gladio watched, frowning as the blond crept forward again, this time taking care to create as little noise or movement as possible. Once he'd situated himself a little higher, he repeated the action from before. But, this time, once the brief click and whir of the camera subsided his face contorted into what the others jokingly called the "Oh shit" face.

Heart already pounding, Gladio called out quietly to his friend.

Then he heard it. It was low at first, just a small drone.

"Prompto, you didn't."

It was louder, now. "Prompto, get down here, now!"

The gunslinger was attempting to do just that. As he began scrambling back down between the branches, several killer wasps rose up behind him, preparing to attack.

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Noctis groaned as he stretched, finally throwing down his handheld. He grinned; Prompto was never going to out-do his new score. He frowned thinking about his friend. The sun was getting low over the horizon, and he couldn't even see them in the distance, yet.

"How much longer till we start to worry about those two?"

Ignis snorted softly. "When Prompto is involved, the moment to worry is as soon as he is out of sight."

Noctis laughed. "Ain't that the truth."

"I say we give them about thirty more minutes before we let true worry set in. You know Gladio; he's indulgent when it comes to our young friend. But, he'd not let him come to harm."

"All the same, I'm going to text them." Noctis pulled out his phone, fingers flying over its surface, and pressed SEND more forcefully than necessary.

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"Dammit, Prompto. You just had to get a photo of a killer wasp nest, didn't you?"

Prompto ducked his head, muttering "sorry" for the hundredth time. They were back at the base of the hill, and making their way slowly toward the haven. Gladio cast the blond a mean look as he pulled another thorn out of his arm.

"I'm just thankful you aren't any bigger than you are. You really could have done some damage if you had an ounce of actual muscle or fat on you."

Prompto hung his head lower, shoulders slumping as he walked next to the grumbling giant.

He really couldn't blame him for being pissed.

When he was making his escape, he had missed a few branches on the way down. More than a few, really. Ok, he missed a lot, and went plummeting down to the forest floor at breakneck speeds. Gladio reacted as any well trained shield would, and leapt into action, rushing forward and launching himself in the air in an attempt to keep Prompto from breaking his face on the ground. He caught him in midair, immediately wrapping as much of his own body around the boy as he could, and pivoted. He landed hard on his back in a bed of brambles, knocking the breath out of him.

To his credit, Prompto sprang to his feet and called his gun, dispatching three of the seven killer wasps currently bearing down on them. They fell to the ground, wings still flapping. Gladio was still disentangling himself from the thorny vines when a startled shout ripped his attention back to the fray, as the gunslinger was knocked off his feet from behind, forcing him face first into a nearby tree. He sat down hard on the ground, holding his head as two more wasps readied an attack.

A roar sounded out behind him, and suddenly Gladio's great sword was flashing through the air, cutting the wasps in half. Regaining some composure, Prompto rolled to his feet, and ran up to Gladio, letting the man launch him into the air a second time that day. He flipped, gaining the attention of the remaining two wasps and shot them both, landing neatly next to their twitching bodies.

And now his friend was aggravated at him, which hurt worse than the bruised shoulder and the lump on his head combined.

"Uhh, I could help you with those-"

"Don't."

Gladio was now digging under his shirt, pulling out more thorns of varying sizes.

"I mean, the ones on your back have to hurt, we can take a few minutes-"

Gladio growled Prompto into silence. He stopped, placing his hand to his head in a moment of sudden dizziness. His stomach flipped inside him, and he was suddenly no longer hungry. "Just…Let's just get Iggy's damned potatoes and get back to camp. We can do it there."

Placated a little, Prompto shot his friend a shy smile, and allowed his shoulders to un-slump a bit. "Ok, man, sorry again, I mean I totally didn't mean-"

"The potatoes, Prompto. They're around here somewhere."

"Heheh, right, big guy! Sorry again!" He then cast about, locating the potatoes a short distance away. Leaving Gladio to keep watch and pick out the more easily accessible thorns, he quickly set to work digging up dinner.

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Noctis sighed in relief when he finally got a message back. He opened the text to find a picture-typical of his best friend. It was of Gladio, standing with the sun setting behind him, holding his own phone a few inches from his face. He enlarged the photo to reveal that his shield was using his phone as a mirror was picking at something on his face.

His phone pinged again with the accompanying message.

:got into a thorny situation! Back soon:

Then another.

:don't show Gladio. I was sneaky sneaky with this pic. He's already pissed:

Ignis frowned at that. "What manner of trouble have they gotten themselves into this time?"

"Who knows?" Noctis shrugged, tossing the phone into one of the camp chairs. As Ignis went back to preparing the vegetables he did have, the prince set about absorbing the elemental magic from the reserves located near the haven. He dutifully sat next to the fire and began preparing spell bottles for he and his advisor to use in battle.

They worked in comfortable silence in their respective areas, neither hearing the ping of the next message coming through a little while later.

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He was really not feeling well. Gladio sat on the ground, waiting…waiting…his headache slowly growing. He wasn't sure exactly what was causing it. He had felt fine earlier that day. It's not like he was allergic to any of the indigenous plants.

He felt…off. He called out to Prompto, to tell him to hurry up, but there was no answer. That's when he took a good look around the area.

Prompto was nowhere to be seen. The potatoes that he had piled up now lay scattered, and there were at least three bushes that looked as if they had been trampled.

He shot to his feet, summoning his sword. What had happened?

He remembered that he had attempted to pull out more of the brambles while Prompto collected the vegetables, but there were just too many. He'd settled on pacing the edge of the tree line, keeping watch for more surprise attacks.

His headache spiked, and he rubbed his face again. A sudden incomprehensible sound grabbed his attention, and he went back the way he'd come.

Prompto was still digging up the potatoes, having collected quite the pile. Gladio kept silent, watching him a moment, wondering if he'd imagined the sound.

No, there it was again, but even less audible. It seemed to be coming from the bushes a few yards away from his companion. Not wanting to alarm him, Gladio opted to step forward lightly, hoping it was just some small animal rooting around in the brush.

That's when things went sideways, he remembered flashes of colors and vague sounds compounding with blinding spikes of pain in his head.

And that was it. Had they been attacked? Where was Prompto?

Deciding there was no immediate danger in the area, Gladio began calling out his friend's name.

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He ran. Well, he ran as fast as he could. He was pretty sure his ankle was at least sprained, possibly worse. And the blood seeping into his eyes from the cut on his head was not helping matters at all. He stopped and slid to the ground at the base of a large tree and sucked in ragged breaths while his vision swam.

He cringed when Gladio bellowed his name, his voice a strange combination of concern and rage. Unconsciously, the boy drew his legs up closer to himself as he did his best to steady his breathing and racing heart. The bark was rough against his back, but he pressed firmly into it as tears slipped down his cheeks.

It had all happened so fast.

He was digging the potatoes, had collected quite a few when he noticed Gladio's shadow stretching over him. He was looking up to tell him he was almost done, when he suddenly found himself landing face down on the ground, felled by Gladio's massive fist.

He had no time to collect himself as a solid kick to his ribs flipped him over, and his friend snatched him up by the ankle and shook him like a rag doll, shouting a mix of obscenities and nonsense. A particularly rough squeeze elicited a distinct pop in the boy's ankle region and his agonized wail sent a small flock of birds scattering from the trees. He was dropped unceremoniously to the ground as the big man staggered away from him. He cringed when Gladio bellowed again, but the big man ran in the opposite direction, summoning his great sword and delivering a mighty blow to a nearby bush.

Prompto scrambled to his feet, and half stumbled, half dragged himself into the clump of trees, pulling out his phone. With one shaking hand, he shot off a text to Noctis while straining both eyes and ears in search of movement. He dropped his phone when Gladio came out of nowhere, this time wielding his shield. He swept past, Prompto, however, continuing to attack whatever invisible foe he was raging against.

Holding his breath, Prompto reached a trembling hand to pick up the phone. The bigger man whirled, wild eyed, and lunged at Prompto directly. He dropped to the ground and rolled, but not before the bottom of the shield struck a glancing blow across his scalp, instantly covering half his face in blood. He breathed hard through the black dots in his vision, watching as Gladio dismissed the shield and began pacing back and forth a few yards away, muttering incoherently.

His vision finally clearing, he quietly tucked his phone into his back pocket, and made his way to his feet, speeding off as silently as possible.

Behind him, Gladio continued to strike out wildly, not caring what he hit, including himself.

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As he trailed after the smallest member of their group, Gladio's concern increased insurmountably. Joining the broken twigs and flattened grass were increasingly larger blood spatters. What had happened to his friend?

He'd ceased calling out in favor of stopping and listening hard every few minutes, hoping to find either Prompto or whatever had attacked him, but there was nothing.

What had happened? Where was he?

Another stinging pain shot through his head, and his stomach dropped. There was a sudden ringing in his ears, and he shook his head vigorously, trying to clear it.

Against the darkening sky, he could see a small tendril of smoke coming from the haven. His best guess was it was still about a mile away. He could only hope that Prompto-

Gladio paused as he detected an odd noise coming from a small stand of trees not far away. He cocked his head as it repeated. He knew that sound. He summoned his great sword and made his way towards the cluster of trees.

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Ignis stood at the edge of camp, staring in the distance. "Why don't you try calling them?"

Noctis startled out of his light doze by the fire. He cleared his throat, and patted around for his phone, finally locating it on the ground.

"Hmm, there's a text from Prompto."

He opened it, but frowned down at the screen. "I'm not sure what this means."

Ignis leaned down over the Prince's shoulder and removed the phone from his grasp.

:Sometime's it's wild with flaps! Hell!:

"I have no idea." He handed the phone back to Noctis, who quickly dialed Prompto.

No answer. He tried again. It rang twice, and then Pompto's breathless voice came over the line, "Noctis," he hissed urgently.

Sudden releif flooded the prince, and he ignored his friend's tone. "Finally! What is taking-"

"Noctis, shut up and listen."

He was taken aback for a second. While Prompto certainly did not speak to him with the reverence that most raised in Insomnia would, he'd never given him a direct order. Noctis pursed his lips, concerned.

"It's…I don't know, man, I fell and there were wasps and Gladio..he….oh….shit…oh no."

There was a thump; the phone hitting the ground. Prompto sounded far away, now. And frightened.

"….Easy buddy…easy. It's ok…"

He was using that voice he saves for wounded animals.

Noctis listened for a few moments, his blood slowly turning to ice in his veins. He called his friend's name.

Prompto didn't answer. A few more tense moments passed, moments of near silence interspersed with unintelligible words exchanged between his two friends, then, very clearly and in a tone Noctis had not heard from the happy-go-lucky gunslinger before; "Gladio, no! Put it down, please! Gladio, don't!"

His grip on the phone tightened, knuckles turning white. "Prompto, what is happening?! Prompto! Gladio! Where are you?!" his strained voice leeched from between tightly clenched teeth.

There was a thump followed by a whimper, several more thumps, and voices; both Prompto and Gladio yelling, more thumps, and the clang of metal against something hard. There was bellowing, and an anguished cry, then suddenly the phone went dead.

Ignis was staring off in the direction he knew they had gone, silent as he listened to the tinny far away sounds of battle on the phone. Noctis was breathing hard, and when the phone went dead, he threw it down and summoned a spear, hurling it into the air. He warped up to it so that he could survey the area. At first there was nothing, then, in the distance, a gunshot. Without waiting for permission or instruction, he began warping as fast as he could in the direction of the resounding bang.

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Prompto heard him before he saw him. Though generally the quietest member of the group, whatever was wrong with Gladio seemed to be affecting him in more ways than the sudden violence he had decided to inflict upon his young friend.

The boy could barely stifle a groan of pain as he shifted, trying to see around the tree he was currently hiding behind.

That's when it happened. His phone suddenly started vibrating and ringing in his pocket, startling a short cry out of Prompto, followed by several worried whispered curses as he scrambled to snatch the phone from his pocket and turn off the sound.

It had begun its second round of chiming as he finally was able to free it from his pocket. He silenced it by hitting the "accept" button, and hissed his friend's name into the phone, trying to be quiet.

Noctis was talking, but Prompto silenced him, trying to get the problem out before it was too late. But, he couldn't string his thoughts together properly. He knew he was rambling into the phone, but he couldn't stop himself. Between his fear, confusion, and the multiple blows to his head in the last hour or so, not to mention the fact that Gladio had lost his damned mind, he had lost all sense of meaning and logic.

The phone slipped from his grip as he stared up into the face of one of the few people in all his life that he had called "friend". A face contorting from confusion, to anger, to concerned and back again so rapidly that it was a wonder that any of these emotions were registering at all.

"…Prompto…What happened?" Gladio reached out a hand toward the younger who involuntarily flinched back when his attacker's fingers brushed his forehead near the sluggishly bleeding cut. Startled by the young man's sudden movement, Gladio snapped his head to the side, raising his sword high, searching for the threat.

Prompto swallowed hard as his eyes trailed down the bigger man's arms, to his white knuckled grip on the hilt of his great sword. "Easy buddy….easy." He held up his free hand in placation. "It's ok."

Gladio turned back to him, mumbling something incoherently, and rubbed his head with his free hand. Coming back to himself again, he reached down to Prompto, and pulled him to his feet. Sighing in relief, the younger man leaned his trembling frame against the tree, and watched the big man warily.

"You ok?" He asked quietly, not wanting to trigger another bout of rage.

Gladio stared at him a moment, then squinted and turned away. Dismissing his sword, much to Prompto's relief, he muttered again and rubbed his head. The blond shoved himself off the tree, and as best as he was able, took a few steps towards his friend. "Let's get you back to camp, buddy. I think something is messing with your head."

Gladio stared at him a moment, then nodded. Just as he approached Prompto to offer him assistance in walking back, he noticed the camera and phone lying on the ground at the base of the tree.

"So what happened? Did we…did we get attacked?" Gladio's brows came together as he stumbled a little, leaning down to pick up the discarded electronics.

"You don't remember anything?"

The big man stared at the camera in his hands, turning it over and over. Shaking his head, he started back towards Prompto but stumbled again, going down to one knee. Ignoring his violently protesting ankle, Prompto rushed forward, placing a trembling hand gently on the downed man's shoulder.

Reacting to the sudden touch, Gladio's hand shot up and encircled Prompto's thin wrist, yanking him up and over his shoulder, slamming him hard onto his back in the grass.

Coughing and curling in on himself, Prompto attempted-for the second time that day-to breathe away the black dots threatening to swallow him.

Above him, Gladio stood glaring alternately at him and the surrounding trees. "Gladio…" Prompto managed to croak out, snapping the big man's attention back to him. He let out a low grumble and his fist tightened around the strap of the camera. He began swinging it in the air, and it let out a low whistle as he got it up to speed.

"Gladio, no!"

Suddenly his muscular arm jerked and the camera swung off course, striking Gladio himself in the temple. His face twisted in angry pain and he growled low, glancing at the trees as he began spinning it again.

Prompto had managed to back away a few feet, but was unable to escape. Gladio's flat brown eyes bore into his; the lack of recognition there frightened the boy more than any of the attacks he had thus far endured.

"Put it down, please…." his attempt to reason was lost as Gladio's expression darkened and he very purposely brought the camera down in a swift arc towards Prompto's face.

"Gladio, don't!" Though he was able to throw his arm up as a last ditch effort of defense, the device still slammed into the side of his head, scraping his ear, making it feel as if it was half torn off. Knowing that more blows were coming, he covered his head with his arms as best as he could and let them rain down.

The beating stopped as suddenly as it began, with Gladio dropping the camera and simply wandering away from the prone figure on the ground.

Beyond reason, beyond caring, Prompto let his exasperation and fear get the best of him. "What the living fuck, Gladio?!" He struggled to a sitting position, checking to ensure his ear was, in fact, still attached to his head.

Just as hyped up, but having no idea why, Gladio yelled back; "What is happening?!" He stared down at his hands, flecks of his friend's blood splattered across them. "What am I doing?!" He screamed again, slamming his fingers into his hair, ripping at the long tresses. He began muttering and shaking his head and Prompto noticed foam forming at the corners of the warrior's mouth.

Not wanting to be the recipient of his friend's wrath, but also not wanting him to hurt himself, Prompto scooted back to where his phone still lay on the ground and reached for it, watching Gladio tear at himself for signs of any sudden mood swing. The moment his fingers touched its smooth surface, he threw it across the clearing, yelling "What was that?!" In an over-dramatic voice as it skittered across some tangled roots.

Gladio immediately turned to the new threat, and summoned his great sword once again. With a mighty roar, he lunged forward and hacked at the tree, bark flying, ricocheting off the sword and swordsman alike.

Prompto sagged back, watching the attack, breathing a sigh, that he soon found himself choking on, when the bigger man suddenly lurched back around, raising his sword high above his head.

He was going to die, here. In a moment that stretched into an eternity, Prompto realized this. Time lost meaning as he stared into eyes that reflected his own murder back at him.

There was only one thing he could do to stop it from happening, but could he bring himself to do it?

Gladio took one forceful step forward, and Prompt let out an anguished yell at what he knew he had to do.

As the phone was crushed beneath Gladio's determined step, Prompto called his gun.

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Ignis had never run so hard in his life. The second the prince began warping towards the distant trees on the rapidly darkening horizon, he sprung into action. Grabbing the first aid kit and various curative odds and ends, he took off full pelt in the same direction.

Ahead, the prince faltered as he warped. He had run out of ether a few days back, so was unable to continuously replenish the energy required to sustain warping at the pace he was attempting.

Ignis pushed himself harder still, knowing he wouldn't be able to catch up to the prince, but not wanting to be too far behind. His heart leapt in his throat at the terrified scream from Noctis as he finally broke through the stand of trees, and it nearly broke when a second shot rang out.

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If nothing else, Prompto was an excellent shot. When Gladio took that first menacing step, his mind automatically rifled through all his options.

He rejected the deadliest ones outright; he knew he couldn't bring himself to kill Gladio. He could shoot out a knee but then he would have an even harder time getting him back to camp.

By the time the angry giant had advanced two more steps, the gunman settled for his sword arm, a few inches above his wrist. He took the shot, his own hand reverberating with the force of the kickback. Gladio let out a startled shout as his greatsword flew out of his hand.

He clapped his hand over the profusely bleeding wound, and locked eyes with Prompto, who was heaving shuddering breaths, but kept his steady aim on the bigger man.

"You shot me." It was a statement of fact, and there was no hint of anger behind the words.

"Uhhh…yeah. Yeah I did. Do you know why?"

Gladio shook his head, his eyes glazing over for a second. He pressed his hand harder against the wound, and came back to himself again.

He took in Prompto's battered figure and frowned deeply. The boy had risen to his feet, cradling one arm "Did I…?"

Prompto's finger tightened ever so slightly on the trigger. Since they stopped to get the potatoes, this is the longest Gladio had been lucid, and he was already anticipating the next change.

Which was a good thing, because he hadn't even gotten a word out when Gladio suddenly charged him again. He dove to the side at the last possible second, and Gladio thundered past him, ramming his shoulder into a tree, forcing hs body to twist around, a storm of confusion and hurt on his face.

At this point, Prompto has completely lost his composure. He was shaking, now, and the edges of his vision were steadily going gray. When Gladio charged him this time, he was to slow to react, and they went down in a tangle of limbs. He managed to retain hold of his gun when he hit the ground and struggled to bring it up to defend himself against his raging assailant.

He had never been so aware of his smallness as he was right now; his hips and thighs being crushed into the unforgiving ground as Gladio rose up, keeping his lower half pinned beneath his much larger frame. The big man easily swatted his shakey gun hand down with his left hand, and then laid a wicked right hook across the boy's freckled face.

Someone screamed, but Prompto couldn't be sure who. His body was rigid beneath the larger man, who now had one massive hand wrapped around his throat, and his other arm cocked back to deliver another devestating blow.

His head slammed into the ground and he tasted blood. Above him, the shadowy figure readied for another attack.

There was nothing but ringing in his head now, and when he blinked, all color was lost in the world around him. In painfully slow motion, he brought his gun arm back up, took aim, and shot. The weight was suddenly gone, and above him the leaves swayed against a gray cloudless sky. His eyes slid gently shut and he knew nothing more.

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Noctis hit the ground running, stumbling in his haste. He pushed himself harder, towards the twisting shadows and pain filled cries. When he broke the line of trees, he stopped dead in shock. His body guard, his shield, the man he trusted most with his own life was foaming at the mouth, straddled on top of a bloodied Prompto, who struggled weakly beneath the much larger man.

A cry of anguished horror ripped from his throat when Gladio's fist struck a bone crunching thud across Prompto's face.

He was running again, head down and prepared to tackle his sworn shield. Ahead, a shot rang out a split second before he collided with the wall of muscle, and they both tumbled off the gunman, whose body had gone completely lax.

Gladio rolled to his knees, holding his head. The second shot had not hit him, but it had gone off directly next to his head, and the percussion nearly ruptured his eardrum. Through the haze of pain, Noctis rose before him, his anger and readiness to fight making him look every bit like the true king he was. He summoned his sword and stood in a ready stance. Behind him, Prompto was still as death.

"N..Noct…what is happening to me?" Gladio's eyes filled with tears. In the back of his mind, he knew he had done…whatever it was that had been done to the young blond. But he couldn't remember what; it was all swirls and colors and flashing images of past horrors. The last thing he remembered clearly was leaving the thicket where he and Prompto had their run in with the killer wasps.

Noctis breathed hard. His fingers tightened ever so slightly on the hilt of his sword when Gladio spoke. "I don't know, man, but you've got to stay calm. You..."

He was cut off as a choking retch sounded behind him. Taking his eyes off of Gladio for a moment, his blood ran cold as his best friend began seizing, his eyes rolling back and his body spasming uncontrollably. The immediate threat forgotten for a moment, Noctis fell to his knees beside Prompto, doing his best to ensure there was no more damage done.

Noctis drew his hands back from cradling his friend's head as the shaking finally subsided, staring down and the blood that now coated his palms. His gaze shot back up to Gladio, who was pacing at the far edge of the clearing, alternately mumbling to himself and staring menacingly into the shadows.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Ignis stopped, catching his breath against a small rock formation. The stand of trees Noctis had disappeared into was just ahead, but there had been no sound since the gunshot. Not knowing the exact situation, the advisor opted to approach cautiously.

He summoned one dagger, and kept it low to his side and he strode quickly and quietly between the trees and rocks, keeping eyes and ears open for any sign of his friends.

He stopped suddenly and darted behind a tree. Up ahead, a dark figure was pacing. He could just make out certain words, nonsense phrases floating through the shadows.

Suddenly, the shadow roared, turning away from his hiding spot. Ignis broke cover, rushing through the trees. When he burst into the clearing, it was to the sight of Gladio and Noctis locked in physical combat over a very still Prompto.

"I'll kill you before I let you kill him!" The prince screamed into his shield's face, his aura crackling around him. There was a sudden change in air pressure and thunder rolled across them as a physical entity, nearly knocking Ignis back from the conflict. His heart dropped, knowing what would come next. Ramuh.

He forced himself between the two, dealing two quick but well aimed blows intended to knock them both for a loop. They each dropped back, holding their heads in an almost comical mirror image of one another.

The sudden deadness to the air signaled to Ignis that the call to Ramuh had been dismissed, at least for the moment, so he set about dealing with the more immediate threat. He took Gladio down with two more well placed strikes to his temple with the blunt end of one of his daggers. He immediately slipped off both his and the large man's belts to use as restraints.

He was nonplussed when Gladio began groaning, already coming back around, but he was confident that he was properly restrained, so he grabbed his discarded first aid kit and hurried over to his downed comrade.

Noctis was sitting behind him, his hands cradling his head gently a few centimeters off the ground. Ignis swallowed hard as he recognized the twitching signifying a seizure.

He quickly opened a bottle of water and soaked a rag, wiping the blood away from the freckled boy's face. He poured some of the water into the cut in his scalp, washing away the grime. Ignis opened one of their two remaining potions and emptied it directly on the downed boy's head, wincing for him as the skin within the cut began knitting itself back together.

"Iggy…"

The unspoken question in Noctis' sorrow laced tone hung in the air for a moment.

Potions could mend broken skin and heal minor hurts, but as a rule they weren't optimal for the kind of treatment that their friend needed.

He hated to do it. He knew that Prompto would fair better if he were given both of the potions now, but he also knew that if he didn't seal the gunshot wound on Gladio's arm, he may not heal properly and would be unable to act as the king's shield in coming battles.

So, he made the hard decision. He stood, and turned his back on the two younger men, stalking towards Gladio. The big man had made it to his knees, and he swayed there, glaring from Ignis to Noctis and back again. Ignis frowned down at him, and pulled out a bottle of remedy. He gripped Gladio's chin tightly, forcing his lips open and the liquid he struggled, Gladio swallowed more than he spat out, and he quickly lost his steam. Ignis then poured the remaining potion over the bullet wound, watching as the wound closed itself, leaving behind faint scar tissue grooves.

Ignis approached Noctis, who was still staring at Gladio distrustfully. "How is he?"

Noctis hummed to himself, finally ripping his eyes away from the big man, and stared down at Prompto. The entire left half of his face was swollen, bruises forming along his jaw line and the skin around his eye puffed up to twice its normal size. A cut that went through both his top and bottom lip was dark with drying blood, and stood out in stark contrast to his pale skin.

"I, uh…I think he might be ok. He…he hasn't seized again since you gave him the potion."

Ignis nodded once, satisfied with the assessment. "Do you think you can carry him? It's a long way back the the haven, and the daemons are likely already starting to stir. We need to move quickly."

"What are you going to do with him?" Noctis nodded towards Gladio, who was still on his knees, watching them warily.

Ignis pulled out three more remedy bottles. "I'm going to keep him restrained and give him one of these every twenty minutes."

Noctis nodded once, and gathered up Prompto in his arms, doing his best to not cause any further damage.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Everything hurt. Literally.

Gladio groaned to himself, stretching out stiff muscles. He was alone in the tent. He grimaced; the inside of his mouth was coated in thick saliva and his head pounded twice as hard as it had the last time he had gone on a wild bender. At least that time he had woken up next to a gorgeous woman.

The world tilted around him as he lurched out of the tent flap that someone had kindly thought to leave undone for him. He shaded his eyes from the assault of sunlight and grumbled to himself for a second before heading towards the fire, plopping unceremoniously into his chair. Across from him, Ignis put down the notebook he was writing in, and pulled a plate full of eggs and assorted meats from where it was keeping warm on a stone by the fire. He handed it wordlessly to the warrior, and sat down again.

"Thanks." Gladio ground out, reaching for a bottle of water. He was a few bites into his breakfast before he became aware that the advisor's eyes had never left him.

He shot him a questioning glance as he shoveled down another heaping forkful of breakfast. It seemed the more he ate, the hungrier he realized he was.

"Tell me, Gladiolus, how are you feeling this morning?" Ignis's tone was curt and to the point.

"Like I got run over by a heard of wild chocobos."

Ignis nodded. "And what do you last remember?"

Gladio thought back, his head pounding harder with the effort. He sighed to himself, unable to summon up a clear memory in the twisted jumble in his mind.

"Where are Noctis and Prompto?" he asked instead, looking around the haven for any sign of the younger men.

"Nevermind that, now. What do you last remember?"

He put his fork down and stared into the fire. "Uhh…I guess the last thing I remember is…stopping to pick those potatoes for dinner. Why?" He was admittedly disconcerted at his lack of memory, but he was more disturbed by the resigned way Ignis pursed his lips and looked away from him before answering.

"Before I start, I want you to know that what happened wasn't your fault. No one blames you."

"Blames me for what?"

Ignis squirmed, looking uncomfortable, and refused to meet Gladio's eyes.

"It was the killer wasps. When you fell…when you got back here, I had to pick about seventy stingers out of you. Apparently the bramble patch you fell in also contained a swarm of baby wasps-"

Gladio swallowed hard, "Where are they, Iggy? Where are Noctis and Prompto?"

As if not hearing him, or maybe ignoring him, Ignis continued. "...and their stingers, being small, got caught in your skin, slow releasing large doses of the venom that is the source of their confusion attack."

"Iggy, answer the question." Gladio growled, not caring any longer about what happened to him in light of what he may have done.

Ignis sighed deeply. He told him what he knew of the events following that initial fight with the killer wasps, glossing over some of the darker details.

"We're lucky that the daemons seemed to have better things to do, and we made it back to the haven without further incident. Once we got the stingers removed and another course of medication, you were out, and have been for a few days. But, Prompto didn't fair so well."

Gladio stared down at his hands, faded bruises lightly ghosted across his knuckles. "Did I...did I kill him, Iggy?"

The silence between the end of his question, and the beginning of Ignis' response hung dark and low.

"He's not dead. We…we did have to use our reserved phoenix down, however. My best guess is that the, ah, the trauma to his head caused swelling to his brain. We lost him for a few moments when we got him back here, but were able to use the curative in time. Though it did not relieve all his ailments, it did put him out of immediate danger."

As if on cue, that's when the other two decided to amble up the path to the haven, Prompto leaning heavily on the shoulder of the prince. He was sweating profusely from the effort, and had an obvious pained expression on his face, likely caused by the heavy limp, but he was laughing softly at whatever Noctis was saying.

Gladio shot to his feet, his plate of food crashing to the ground. Both the younger men stopped in their tracks, Prompto shrinking back from the sudden movement, and Noctis moving boldly to stand protectively in front of his injured friend.

"It's ok," Ignis assured the two younger men, though neither relaxed their stance.

Gladio looked past the seething anger of the prince to the nervous fear of Prompto. His heart ached at the yellowing bruises on his friend's face and the splint on his injured leg.

He held his hands up in supplication. He stood stock still, not wanting to cause any further alarm, but also not breaking eye contact with the young gunslinger.

"Prompto…I'm, I'm so—"

But Prompto only laughed nervously, not letting the big man get through his apology. "It's ok, Gladio. I know you didn't mean it, buddy. It was the… the uhh, the killer wasps."

"It's nobody's fault." Noctis finally relaxed his stance, once again acting as Prompto's crutch as he helped him over to his seat, and raised his injured leg up to rest on a stack of pillows already laid there.

Gladio resigned himself to silence, not happy with everyone glossing over his part in the gunslinger's injuries. But the mood around the fire had shifted as the younger two engrossed themselves in King's Knight, and Ignis began preparing lunch. Eventually, he drifted off to patrol the immediate area around the haven, ensuring no wild beasts were on the loose, ready to cause problems.

The only trouble he found was that of his own thoughts, as his memory came back to him in flashes. Nothing fully, just seconds here and there. A scream. Terror filled eyes. The scent of blood in the air.

He stared down at his hands for a long time. Hands that had nearly killed someone he cared for deeply. He clenched his fists, fingernails digging into his palms. He was so filled with rage at the situation—at himself—that it rampaged around in his chest until he released it in the form of a mighty bellow, summoning his sword and striking it furiously into the nearest tree.

He had hacked off two limbs and was working on a third when Ignis caught his attention by _thunking_ one of his daggers into the tree above Gladio's head. The warrior stopped and glared over at the advisor, who wisely stood out of immediate striking distance. The dagger dematerialized, coming back to Ignis, reforming in his tight grip.

He used it to gesture at the limbs and bark on the ground. "Mind telling me what this is all about? Because right now, it looks like perhaps you have lost your mind, and we may have to restrain you again."

Gladio frowned at him deeply, shaking his head. He planted the sword into the ground and leaned heavily against it, refusing to meet Ignis' steady gaze.

"I could have killed him, Iggy. And yeah, sure, I know it's not my fault. But what if I had? What if you and Noct hadn't shown up when you did? What if you hadn't had that phoenix down? He…I…

"But none of that happened. We did get there on time. I did have the necessary medications. We got you both back more or less in one piece. Everything else is conjecture, which is pointless."

He dismissed his weapon as he approached Gladio, who did the same. He clapped the man on the shoulder, looking up into his eyes sternly. "We all know that you would die before you harmed Prompto of your own volition. Though you are the king's sworn shield, it is obvious that your protection extends beyond him to all those you truly care about. Give yourself a break."

As they headed back towards the haven, Gladio gently punched the advisor in the shoulder. "When did you get to be so smart?"

Ignis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose it all started when I was but a small child…"

Gladio chuckled to himself, shaking his head at his long time friend's attempt at humor.

Noctis sighed to himself. Not long after Ignis had headed off in search of Gladio, Prompto had begun nodding off. After the third time he nearly fell from his chair, he finally agreed to be led to the tent for a nap. Though he would have liked to have one himself, Noctis had work to do.

They were quite frankly low on a lot of their supplies. Though he had collected the necessary elemental materials for the spell bombs, he had not gotten to complete his task from the other day.

He was spent, and was stoppering up the last bottle when Ignis and Gladio returned to camp. He had to stuff down the immediate flare of anger he felt towards the larger man, reminding himself the events had been out of his hands.

Ignis immediately set about portioning out the stew he'd made for lunch for the three of them, setting aside a bit for Prompto to eat when he woke. They ate in relative silence, and when they were done, Noctis lay back on the ground, folding his arms behind his head as he stared up at the clouds. It wasn't long before he fell into a light slumber, enjoying the warmth of the mid day sun on his skin.

Back at camp, Gladio again felt at a loss. As the prince dozed and Ignis cleaned his cooking equipment, he headed for the tent to grab his book and finish up the latest chapter. He unzipped the flap as quietly as he could, as to not disturb the sleeping occupant.

He found that worry unnecessary when Prompto smiled at him from behind his camera lens, and left him blinking in the shock of the sudden flash.

"Dammit, aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" He growled, blinking the blue afterimage away.

He cringed at his own tone, but Prompto brushed past it, laughing at the expression Gladio made as he attempted to rid himself of the electric blue blotch.

"Sorry, Gladio, I couldn't resist. Besides, I needed to make sure it still worked. It took me two days to even get it to turn back on."

"Oh." Gladio's heart fell a little at this, having remembered some what he'd done to the boy with the piece of equipment. "So, uh, listen—"

"Don't." Prompto's sudden harsh exclamation shut the warrior down immediately.

The gunman sighed to himself, his face folding in despair. "Please, don't apologize. I...I mean, it was my fault, after all." By the end of his sentence, Prompto had lowered his gaze to the far corner of the tent, his hands trembling as he held the camera out a little, flipping the display to 'view' mode.

"I shouldn't have kept going when I saw the nest; I just thought it would be a cute photo, you know? A bunch of big scary monsters all curled up with one another…" He was rambling now, quickly scrolling back through the images, showing Gladio the one in question. He smiled a little at the photo, the scene actually making the deadly monsters look almost…cuddly.

"I…I almost got us killed, Gladio." Prompto's voice was flat, his eyes hard. "For a stupid picture. I just—I'm so sorry."

Gladio was at a loss. He didn't blame the kid at all for what happened, but he knew if he tried to convince Prompto of that, he would only be doing more harm.

So instead, he pulled the camera from the other's grasp, and sat next to him, holding it to where they both could see. "Your photos aren't stupid, kid." He flipped to the next one, which was of the nest again, only from the higher angle.

He flipped to the next one and frowned. It was off angle and blurry, a diagonal view of trees. Prompto cleared his throat, reaching out, but Gladio easily kept the camera from his grip and went to the next photo.

This one was blurry, too, but he could make out his own darkened features, his eyes empty, small droplets of blood splattered on his face. His heart caught in his throat as the next revealed a wide shot of Prompto on the ground, covering his head with his arms.

It was then that Prompto was able to snag the camera back, Gladio's fingers having gone lax. He turned it off and tucked it away out of reach. He cleared his throat, turning back to his friend who was staring down at him. Before any words could work themselves from his mouth, Gladio pulled him into a gentle embrace whispering how sorry he was over and over again.

Prompto relaxed after a few moments, and returned the hug, rubbing his hand up and down the warriors muscled back. "It's ok, big guy. It's ok."


	2. Status: Poisoned!

**Alright, next one in the status series. I guess I'll keep them more or less connected. don't own, don't sue. thanks. On with the story!**

"Baby chocobos are so so sooo cute! Look how fat they are!" Prompto's golden hair shone in the sun as he lightly danced from side to side in his seat, smiling at his companions. They each returned his smile indulgently.

They were sitting with Wiz at one of the tables of his outdoor café, enjoying cold drinks and the warm sun. Well, four of the five were 'sitting' and 'enjoying', however Prompto was most definitely 'fidgeting' and 'straining his neck trying to get a glimpse of his feathered friends'.

He settled back into his chair with a defeated hum when Ignis fixed him with a pointed stare. Prompto was still healing up from his and Gladio's unfortunate incident involving a nest of baby killer wasps, the latter having unwittingly violently terrorized the former. Though his bruises had all but faded, he was still favoring his injured ankle and made terribly pained expressions upon laughing or coughing too hard. It seemed to Ignis that his main job over the last few days was reminding the boy he was hurt, and should be resting.

They had decided to head to the Chocobo Post to further lift his sprits while he convalesced. Wiz was more than happy to have them, offering room and board in exchange for a little work around the property. A recent storm had damaged several of the buildings on the far side, and there was a pack of voretooths hunting nearby, spooking the chocobos. (much to Prompto's distress)

Wiz had officially closed the post the day before they had arrived, and was anxious to get it reopened. It was quickly decided amongst themselves that Ignis and Noctis would rid the property of the voretooths, while Gladiolus assisted Wiz with repairs.

"What about me? I can help with repairs or something." Prompto volunteered, smiling hopefully from Gladiolus to Wiz and back again.

Wiz shook his head, groaning as he got to his feet, gesturing for the others to do the same. "I actually got a much more important job for you."

He led them over to the stables, where there were several chocobos resting in their respective pens, some kwehing softly at the familiar visitors.

"Whoa, what's this thing?" Prompto hobbled ahead, exclaiming over some new contraption of the old proprietor's.

Wiz laughed, ambling over and patting the rig like it was one of his beloved birds. "I got this here custom made. The materials are real light, but sturdy. Takes two chocobos to pull 'er, but it can carry a bit of weight. Used it just this morning to take the building materials out to the site. If we finish early enough, I'll let you take 'er for a spin later."

"Oh, cool, thanks!" Prompto was having a hard time containing his excitement, and was obviously itching to get on the rig, but was easily drawn away when Wiz started leading them on to the chick enclosure, in which he'd set up a few apple crates for the gunslinger to sit on and rest his ankle.

"With these two over in the hills hunting down the voretooth pack, and me and Gladio and the others making repairs on the other side of the property, we're gonna need someone to look after the birds, here. Keep em out of trouble. Specially the little ones." Wiz gestured to the three fat little chocobos Prompto had pointed out earlier, none of whom seemed to want to stay in their designated area, much to the mama chocobo's annoyance. "I figured with your sharpshooting skills, you'd be able to see a threat from a mile off and take care of it; or at the very least you could get our attention."

Prompto nodded once and saluted; a huge grin plastered across his features. "I won't let you down, sir!"

"Ha, famous last words." Gladiolus intoned gravely from behind the blonde boy.

"Whatevs, big guy. I'm gonna watch these chocobos so good, just you see!" He offered his friend a lopsided smile and winked before heading over to personally introduce himself to each of his new charges with soft words and vigorous neck scratches.

By the time the other men had wandered off to prepare for their own tasks, Prompto was knee deep in baby chocobos and being gently nuzzled by one of the mama birds as he cooed over her chicks.

XVXVVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Wiz gave a quick debriefing of what he knew of the voretooths strengths and weaknesses to Ignis and (a very bored) Noctis before ambling off with his helper to start setting up the work site for the day.

Gladiolus let out an agitated breath as he gazed back over to where their freckled friend was limping about, messing with the birds.

"He'll be fine." Ignis said, reading his mood. "How much trouble can he get into with chocobos?"

Gladiolus raised one heavy eyebrow at his longtime friend. Ignis snorted delicately.

"I'm just worried about him, you know? After everything…the nightmares—"

Ignis pushed his glasses back into place and turned to where he was checking his medical inventory again. "It's to be expected. He went through a …traumatic experience."

Noctis huffed from his spot in the shade where he was playing a round of Kings Knight before they left. "Yeah, it's not every day one of his only friends tries to kill him." The bitter tone laying bare the resentful feelings that Noctis still held towards his shield.

"Noct." Ignis spoke the one syllable with a quiet authority that was enough to cow the young prince, who ducked his head in apology.

But Gladiolus was having none of it. "You got something to say to me, say it."

Noctis chewed the inside of his lip for a moment, staring at the dust covered bricks of the patio. He then cast a sidelong glance at Prompto, who had managed to get himself on the ground and was happily feeding the chocochicks treats.

He hissed out an exasperated breath and then looked back at Gladiolus, blue eyes meeting amber, both angry and hurting. But, after a few beats, Noctis relented, looking away from his shield. "I'm sorry, Gladio. I shouldn't have said that. I know it wasn't your fault, but, dammit! You didn't see you, either. I watched you try to kill him. It's just really hard to get that image out of my head, you know?"

Gladiolus nodded, clenching and unclenching his jaw. Though he couldn't remember most of what happened, he had flashes of things, and he'd be lying if he said that Prompto's terrified eyes had not haunted a dream or two.

Noctis walked over and clapped Gladiolus on the arm, but said nothing more as he and Ignis started heading for the hills.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Since the Malacchi Hills weren't all that far from the Post, Ignis and Noctis decided to walk it. Ignis tactfully waited until they had crossed both stretches of highway before bringing up the subject again. "Noctis, you know you cannot keep blaming Gladio for what happened. The matter was beyond his control."

"I know, Iggy."

Ignis cut his eyes down at his raven haired friend. "And you know that even Prompto understands that it was an unfortunate accident."

"I _know_ Iggy. I know." He stared forward at the rolling hills and scattered trees. "And, thanks, by the way." This second part was lower, gruffer, and it took the adviser by surprise.

"What do you mean?"

Noctis' steps slowed to a stop, but he refused to meet Ignis' gaze, opting instead to stare at his feet. "I lost control back there, when he…he almost…I mean, if you hadn't shown up when you did, I may have done something stupid."

"Well, saving you from doing stupid things is part of my job description, highness."

Noctis chuckled and shook his head, starting off towards the trees again. "Don't make jokes, Iggy. It's not your forte."

"Apologies, highness, I was unaware I was making one."

That earned a groan from the prince, and the two continued together in companionable silence.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Gladiolus drank deeply from his water bottle, splashing the last few swallows into his face to help wash the dust and sweat away. He had been toiling away for a few hours now, doing the majority of the heavy lifting as he, Wiz, and his helper repaired some of the buildings on the far edge of the property. He kept glancing over, but from his vantage point he actually couldn't see his friend and the chocobos. Occasional strains of laughter and squawks would float on the breeze, however, letting he big man know Prompto was ok.

Wiz held his back for a moment, groaning as he surveyed their work, then wiped sweat from his brow. "Well, boys, I dunno about you, but I think it's high time for a break. Let's get some lunch and reconvene when the sun isn't quite so ornery."

"You'll get no arguments from me." Gladiolus grinned and struck off towards their rooms, leaving the older men to wander slowly behind him, heading for the shade of the café.

After washing the dirt and grime from his hands and face, he prepared two cup noodles and headed to the chocobo stables.

His heart dropped to his stomach as he rounded the corner to find Prompto balancing precariously on his good leg as he stood on an apple crate. He was leaning over the railing of one of the pens, taking a photo. Gladiolus said nothing, however, not wanting to startle the kid, who clambered safely—if a little stiffly—down a few moments later.

When the blonde caught sight of his friend, he waved enthusiastically, shouting out a bright greeting. Gladiolus continued forward, holding out the cup noodles. "Shrimp or egg?"

Prompto hemmed and hawed, finally selecting the shrimp and invited Gladiolus to join him on the stack of crates for lunch. They ate quietly, watching the chocochicks tearing through their enclosure, tumbling around with each other.

After flipping through some of the photos and sharing a few laughs, Gladiolus lumbered to his feet, ruffling Prompto's hair on the way up. The blonde huffed, quickly smoothing his hair back out, shooting his friend a menacing glance.

"I'd better go back and join the others. We shouldn't be too much longer, and hopefully Noct and Iggy will be back soon. Are you ok? Do you need anything before I go?"

"Oh, I'm great, big guy! Couldn't be better." Prompto beamed up at Gladio, his smile infecting the older man who found himself grinning back and shaking his head.

"Alright, just holler if you need anything." He turned to head back to the where the repairs were being done, but stopped and caught the freckled youth with a stern look. "No climbing on anything. I don't care how good the lighting is or how cute the chocobos are."

Prompto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Heheh, saw that did you? Come on, I was being careful."

"Mmhmm. Just humor me, ok?"

"You got it, big guy." Prompto winked and shot him with twin finger guns. Gladiolus rolled his eyes, walking away.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

"It almost seems unfair, you know? I mean look at them." Noctis jutted his chin towards the pack of voretooths, who were lounging about in the sun.

"I'm sure they'll catch on soon enough, and provide quite the fight. However, the best course of action at this time is a prudent one, considering we are down two companions."

"Iggy, you think a prudent course of action is always the best one."

Ignis sighed, summoning his daggers. "That's because it is."

"Yeah yeah." Noctis summoned a lance and looked to Ignis for instruction.

"Here," Ignis used one of the bottles of frost, applying the element to the prince's weapon. "This ought to give you an edge. We approach from the side, attack hard and fast, and hope to get as many of them as we can before they regroup."

Noctis nodded, and they slowly approached the sunbathing beasts.

With a flurry of link strikes, they were able to take out two before the creatures seemed to know what was happening and two more before they got separated. Suddenly, Noctis found himself fending off three of the them on his own. His side of the field was a nauseating display of blue warp streaks, pink and white fur, fangs, and flying ropes of blood. As the frost element wore off his lance, he dismissed it in favor of a greatsword, lopping off the head of his last voretooth, breathing hard as he searched the battlefield for his adviser.

Across the way, Ignis was dispatching his own opponents, his daggers flashing in the sun as he concisely ripped into one of the creature's throats. He spun, driving one dagger into the shoulder of a voretooth who thought he'd sneak up on the bespectacled man, and finished by shoving his other dagger up into its chest cavity, lifting it off the ground and tossing it away in a feat of strength that would have impressed even Gladiolus.

"Damn, good one, Iggy!" Noctis shouted, heading over to the brunette, who was breathing hard and eyeing all the various carcasses around them.

"Thank you, highness, but I do believe there is something amiss." Ignis drew himself up to his full height, searching their surroundings.

"What do you mean?"

Ignis frowned, not detecting any movement in the nearby hills. "There were nine when we approached, but I am only able to account for eight bodies."

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"Well, I think that's going to do it for today." Wiz wiped his head with a towel, admiring their handy work. Between them, they'd gotten the three damaged buildings re-roofed and the windows boarded until the glass could be replaced. Now all that was left was the cleaning, which could wait until the morning.

Gladiolus stretched and nodded his agreement, more than ready for the day to be done. Though he was well suited for it, he actually detested physical labor, finding it tedious and mind numbing. He would have preferred to be the one to go with Noctis to hunt the voretooth pack, but had acquiesced to the logic of him simply being better suited to the job at hand. And, if he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to stray too far from Prompto while he was still not at his best.

Wiz interrupted his thoughts. "I wonder if I can convince your friend to cook us all a meal in the café kitchens. All this hard labor has worked up quite the appetite."

"I'm sure Iggy will be more than happy to oblige. It's been awhile since he last had a real kitchen to cook in."

Wiz smiled up at him. "Good good, well I think I'm going to take a well deserved nap. Here's the keys," the old man handed him a jangling set that had more keys than the property had doors. "Gimme a call when dinner's ready. Tell your man he has the run of the kitchen."

"Absolutely. I think I'll go collect Prompto and see if I can convince him to rest up before dinner. If I can tear him away from those birds of yours, that is." The two headed towards the small stand of buildings between them and the stables, Gladiolus slowing his gait to match the old men's speed.

"He's a sweet kid, that one. The birds take a real shine to him."

Gladiolus peered at him sideways as they walked. "You seem to be, too. Don't get me wrong, we appreciate your help, but you've been extra indulgent towards Prompto."

Wiz smiled wistfully to himself as they walked on. "Yeah, that may be so. He reminds me of my boy, I suppose. He was a real sweet kid, too. Good with animals, good with people, just an all around good kid." The old man pulled out his handkerchief and wiped more sweat from his brow. "Lost him in a Niff attack some fifteen years ago. Was about you boys' age at the time."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Gladiolus reached over, resting his hand comfortingly on the older man's shoulder.

"Oh, it's alright. Been a long time, now. But, it does this old man's heart good when you boys come around; brings a bit of sunshine back."

Gladiolus nodded, laughing softly. "Well, we certainly appreciate everything you're doing for us."

"Ah, it's no big deal. Think nothing of it. Anywho, see you at dinner. Don't forget to wake an old man up, will you?"

"Yeah, Wiz, of course. And thanks again."

Wiz laughed at that. "No problem at all. You have any idea how much I would have to pay people to do the stuff you guys are doing for a couple of rooms and letting the boy have some chocobo time? I'm the one winning, my friend."

Gladiolus chuckled, and continued on once the older man veered off, heading towards his place. The warrior was still a bit away when a soft keening reached his ears. He paused, trying to discern what the sound was or where it was coming from. When it was joined by a small chorus of squawks and kwehs, he quickened his step, running for the stables.

"Nooo!" Prompto's voice, high and thin, snapped his attention over to the chick enclosure. Somehow several adult chocobos had gotten in the pen, and they were strutting and jumping as if flustered. He could just make out Prompto's legs on the ground, his feet scrabbling weakly in the dirt. The rest of his body was obscured by a couple of chocobos who were shifting about nervously.

Gladiolus rushed forward, a bellow building in his diaphragm, but it quickly died in his throat as he vaulted over the low fencing, scattering the birds. He swallowed hard and dismissed his sword upon seeing what the matter was. Prompto was asleep, laid up against one of the mama chocobos who eyed Gladiolus suspiciously as he stood above them. The three chicks were nuzzled up next to his friend, making soft sounds of distress not unlike the boy's own.

The warrior's shoulders dropped. For the last few nights, when Prompto had slept, it was a hard deep sleep that was obviously plagued with nightmares. Ignis had told Gladiolus it was to be expected, but it still concerned him how difficult it was to wake the him when he was in the throes of those dreams. He had let Ignis or Noctis rouse him, knowing that his was probably not the face he'd want to see upon waking.

But, he didn't really have a choice right now unless he was just going to let him continue to suffer. Prompto's yellow eyebrows were furrowed, and his eyes darted back and forth quickly beneath the closed lids. His bad leg began to twitch and he groaned, throwing his head over to the side. "Please…please don't make me…please…" he whispered, and then let out the strange keening sound again as his right hand jerked spasmodically at his side.

Not wanting to startle him too badly, Gladiolus crouched down and called out his name quietly. He reached out a tentative hand, lightly tapping the freckled youth on his good leg.

A split second later he was on his ass, staring down the barrel of Prompto's hyper magnum.

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Noctis had never been so terrified in all his life. One minute, Ignis was trying to account for all the voretooths, and the next, the prince was watching his adviser and oldest friend get mauled by the missing creature.

He surmised that during the initial attack, this one had managed to somehow climb up into a tree. At least that was his best guess. All he knew for sure was that he had been talking to Ignis when the man's eyes suddenly widened, and then there had been a heavy force slamming into his back, driving him into the ground. It had jumped off him, however, pouncing directly into his adviser and knocking him to the ground as well, going directly for his throat.

Noctis struggled to his feet, summoning his lance again and warp-striking into the creature's side. They sailed over Ignis, who lay limply on the ground as the prince grappled with the snarling beast. It was a few tense minutes, but he managed to win out over the voretooth, and rushed back to his adviser's side.

Ignis' glasses had been knocked off at some point in the battle, and his green eyes stared up listlessly at the sky, one hand draped loosely over his bleeding chest.

Tears welled in Noctis' eyes as he took in the damage. There were jagged rips in his neck and chest, and blood soaked in the ground beneath Ignis' light brown hair.

Noctis' hands shook as he tried to staunch the blood flow. It had only been six days since he found himself in a similar position with Prompto, and he had no more idea of what to do now than he did then. His heart was not designed to take so much fear, and he began to feel slightly disconnected as he pulled a potion out and unstoppered it, going to pour it over the wounds.

Ignis groaned, waiving at him to stop, much to the prince's confusion.

"Dn't. It…it'll be wasted." Ignis hissed out, shoving at the bottle weakly.

His brain couldn't comprehend the words his adviser was saying. A waste? How could saving his life be a waste?

But there were no more arguments and no more time to waste as Ignis shuddered and went slack.

"No no no no." The word was whispered; issued in painful desperate whispers as his mind began to shut down. "Ignis no, don't do this to me. You can't do this, I can't lose you, too. Man, you gotta wake up!" Noctis was violently shaking Ignis' shoulders, now. But his adviser just flopped limply in his grasp, his only signs of life a small shudder and a faint moan.

"Wake up, goddammit! Wake up!" He was screaming now, losing control. A broken sob escaped his lips. "You gotta tell me how to fix this, Iggy. Tell me how to fix it….please…"

But, there was no answer forthcoming, so he did the only thing he could think of. Noctis poured the potion over the bleeding wounds, cringing on behalf of his friend as the gashes slowly started closing up, leaving shiny scar tissue and drying blood behind. He lifted Ignis' head into his lap and slowly poured another potion in his mouth, coaxing him to swallow most of it for good measure.

He sat there like that for a long while, his raggad pleading whispers stolen by the afternoon breeze.

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Prompto was taking pictures. He sang nonsensically to himself, his intonations echoing and wrapping around him, buffering him this way and that as he lined up shot after beautiful shot. The corners of his mouth turned up as he caught sight of a rare black chocobo, staring at him from the middle of the field beyond the stables. Glancing back to ensure the other chocobos were content in their pens, he took off at a jog towards the beautiful creature. As he ran, she turned and headed towards a stand of trees, occasionally turning to hop in place, goading him to follow. He grinned, pulling out his camera as he broke through the tree line, skidding to a stop behind the chocobo, who stood staring at something he couldn't see between the trees.

In the small glade, night had taken over already. He swallowed hard, glancing behind him to where the sun still radiated brightly just beyond the trees. In the distance, he could barely make out the group of chocobos watching him. But, directly above him stars shone in inky blackness and nocturnal harmonies rustled through the leaves.

He froze as a twig snapped, causing a slow ripple in the world around him. A growl emanated from the shadows of the trees, and he slowly stepped backwards; back towards the light.

The shrubs began to tremble as a roaring crash made its way towards him, and he turned then, running as fast as he could, but the whole landscape ahead had morphed into a thick mud that sucked at his feet and slowed him drastically.

Behind him, the chocobo emitted several gurgling shrieks, undoubtedly being ripped apart by whatever it was that was chasing him. He fell forward, wrenching his ankle. Panic-stricken, he dragged himself through the sodden grass, the ground quaking beneath him.

Something slammed bodily into him, knocking him on his back. The world around him was suddenly splashed in shades of gray as his chest heaved. Another growl rolled across him as an old black bear came into his view; his intelligent amber eyes almost human as they bore into Prompto's own. Without warning, the bear dropped to all fours on top of the gunslinger, trapping him between his massive paws. Swallowing hard, Prompto summoned his gun as the bear roared in his face.

He'd never killed a bear before. They were dangerous, sure, but he ranked them with deer and wild birds; generally harmless. He left them alone, they left him alone. Unlike certain other creatures that seemed to have it out for humans…

He didn't want to do it. It felt wrong.

But he knew if he didn't, he probably wouldn't make it out of the dark glade alive.

It was him…or the bear.

Him…or the bear.

Him…or…"G…Gladio?"

Prompto was sweating, breathing hard, and very very confused. Around him chocobos paced nervously, digging at the ground. The sun still hung bright in the sky. He expelled out a shuddering breath, removing his finger from the trigger.

Gladiolus wasted no time in gently disarming him, and backing out of his personal space.

Prompto remained as he was, the knee of his good leg planted in the dirt, his other stretched out for balance. He stared at his now empty hand. Licking his lips, he finally met the bigger man's eyes. "Gods, Gladio, I'm so sorry. I…I don't know…I'm so _so_ sorry."

Gladiolus nodded, and reached down to help Prompto the rest of the way to his feet. "It's ok. No harm, no foul."

But, to his own surprise, Prompto found the word "Bullshit" flying out of his mouth of its own accord. He hadn't even known it was there, wanting to be said. But, once it was between them, he knew it was true.

Everyone had been treating him with kid gloves the last few days. And, though he appreciated that they were all understanding of his issues and were eager to help him as needed, he was tired of them treating him like he was fragile, dammit. He was Prompto Argentum; he'd been taking care of himself more or less since he was a kid. He hated the feeling of being a burden to his friends, especially in light of all that had happened in the last few weeks.

Gladiolus, however, was not privy to his inner workings, and simply stared confusedly at him as his brain tried to get his words in order.

Prompto ran his hands through his hair, looking up to the sky for strength. "It's not ok, and you know it. I could have killed you." He gesticulated wildly, becoming more animated as his anger at himself grew. "I almost killed you over what? A dream that I can't even remember now?! If what happened with me and you and the damned wasps hadn't happened, you would be tearing me a new one right now for being so careless! _I_ _almost_ _shot_ _you_. In what universe is that ok?"

Gladiolus took Prompto by his shoulders, calming his actions. "You're right. Let's call it what it is, though. I almost killed _you_." He pursed his lips, looking away for a moment before setting his eyes back on his distressed friend. "Iggy is right; you went through a traumatic experience. Nightmares and anxiety are to be expected. And, no, that doesn't excuse you from pulling a gun on me, but I'm not mad about it. I get it, you were scared and confused and there is no point in yelling at you about it right now. So, this time—and _only_ this time—we're gonna call this 'no harm, no foul,' and let it go. Ok?"

Prompto nodded, fidgeting with the hem of his vest.

"However," Gladiolus continued, "falling asleep out here was stupid and careless. There's a pack of voretooth on the prowl and you were supposed to stand watch. You shirked your duty, and I'm going to let Wiz know about it."

Prompto's face fell, but he nodded his understanding, eyes remaining focused on the ground.

Gladio smiled to himself, and ruffled the boy's hair again. "Feel better now?"

There was silence for a few moments, then a petulant "yes" found its way out, and a moment later, a quieter "thanks, Gladio" followed.

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Vaguely, Noctis wondered if this was what shock felt like. It was almost as if he was watching himself from above. He was still sitting amongst the carnage of the fight, cradling Ignis in his lap. He'd still not regained consciousness, and every few moments a shudder rippled through his body, eliciting a groan. But, that was his only sign of life.

Noctis had already burned up seven potions by this point, and was in danger of running out. He had never known a potion to fail so horribly at whatever was wrong. Every time he used one, Ignis would do better for a few minutes; would stir and moan, his breathing would slow and his skin would warm back up. But, sure enough, after a few minutes, he would begin shuddering and breathing awkwardly again and his pulse would become erratic and Noctis would give him another potion and he'd do better for a few minutes…

From a far way away, a familiar tinkling chime sounded, and Noctis slowly turned his head towards the intrusion.

No. Not intrusion. Salvation.

Ignis' phone was ringing.

Oh. Shit.

 _Ignis'_ _phone_ _was_ _ringing_

Why didn't he think of that?! The phone, of course the phone! How could he be so stupid? He laughed a little hysterically as he scrambled for Ignis' pocket. Gladiolus would know what to do!

He pulled out the phone and barely registered that the call was indeed from his shield before he accepted it and began talking. He quickly explained what was happening, his voice high and desperate.

He waited for a second as his shield barked out some orders to Prompto, but quickly snagged his attention back when Ignis' limbs began twitching.

"What do I do?" He whispered into the phone, reaching down and grasping his adviser's clammy wrist, feeling for his pulse again. "I don't know what to do, Gladdy. He won't wake up. I can't lose him, I just _can't._ I can't lose anyone else. Help, please, tell me what to do."

And Gladiolus had spoke to him in his reassuring rumble, calming him slightly. Noctis did his best to tell his shield exactly how to find them, and disconnected the call after he was promised that help was on the way. He held Ignis as he shuddered again, his soft moan of distress echoing loudly in the prince's ears.

If he'd not been so full of worry, he might've laughed at the sight of Gladiolus riding on the back of a chocobo, being followed closely by Prompto driving the rig, kicking up dust in their wake.

Gladiolus bounded off his bird, landing with a grunt, and quickly ran over to assess the situation. Finding Ignis to be unresponsive, he wasted no time in scooping the slighter man up and placed him in the back of the rig. He ushered Noctis up as well, sitting him next to Ignis on the floor of the cart.

Noctis barely registered it as Prompto whistled to the chocobos and headed back towards the Post. Gladiolus rode behind, keeping watch on the surrounding area in case of any sudden attacks.

Noctis spent the whole time whispering words of encouragement, holding one of Ignis' clammy hands in his own.

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Wiz was already waiting for them when they got back, and quickly got to work getting his patient settled on the bed. "You sure there wasn't anything left inside him that could be keeping the potions from doing the job?" He directed this at Noctis, who shook his head.

"I…I honestly don't know. I panicked when he passed out, and he's been like this ever since."

Wiz nodded, and started probing around Ignis' neck and chest. "Well, I don't feel anything, so that's good. What about the antidote? Did you give him another of those?"

Noctis furrowed his brow. "Antidote?"

Wiz swore under his breath, bending under a nearby counter and retrieving a bottle of glowing green liquid. He propped the brunette up and poured a little in his mouth, adding more as the man reflexively swallowed. He glared over at Noctis, making an angry noise in the back of his throat.

"Don't you listen when people talk, boy? I told you earlier that if you get bit, you gotta take an antidote first, or you're just gonna burn up your potions. The voretooths are nasty sumbitches and their bites are poisonous. If you'd run out of potions before giving him the antidote, he probably wouldn't have made it. You were lucky you had a good supply of 'em."

Noctis blanched, staring down at Ignis as a faint green light shimmered through him and he shuddered one more time before going limp. But this time, his face was smooth in relaxed sleep.

Yeah. Lucky Ignis had thought ahead and oversupplied as usual. Noctis grit his teeth as his eyes filled with guilt. "No, I…I must have not been paying attention—"

Gladiolus straightened up at that. "Weren't paying attention? What do you mean—"

But, Prompto was quick to slap the back of his hand on the big man's chest. "Come on, Gladio. No harm, no foul, right?"

Gladiolus shot the freckled youth a look that clearly said he'd lost his mind and gestured angrily down at Ignis' prone form. "I wouldn't exactly call that 'no harm,' Prompto."

But the blond just gave him his version of the same look, gesturing to where Noctis had sat himself up on the bed next to his adviser. He was now gently wiping the sweat from Ignis' brow with a shaking hand. "Duuuude. No _harm_ no _foul_. Iggy's gonna be fine, right Wiz?"

"Yeah. He's gonna be just fine. He's probably gonna sleep a while, though."

Gladiolus relented, and stepped forward to pat Noctis reassuringly on his back.

There was awkward silence for a few seconds, causing Prompto to start drumming on the nearby nightstand. "Weellllllll…."

Wiz cleared his throat, "Well, I guess this means I'm doing the cooking tonight. Hope you're all ok with Crispy Fish Fritterwiches."

"Sounds great, Wiz. Why don't me and Prompto help you?" Gladiolus playfully grabbed the gunslinger by the nape of his neck, leading him towards the door behind the older man.

After the door clicked shut, Noctis gently crawled over to the other side of the bed and lied down next to Ignis, placing a hand on his chest as he closed his eyes, the rhythmic breathing soothing him to sleep.

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Ignis woke several times throughout the night, though he didn't really remember what happened during those brief moments of lucidity. But he had the vague recollection of talking to someone, and of warmth, and comfort, and soft laughter. When he woke fully, he was under blankets in a vaguely familiar room with an extremely familiar figure curled into his side, usurping his body heat.

" Noct." His voice was paper thin, so he tried again, gently shaking his charge.

"Noct, wake up."

In reply, Noctis grabbed his wrist and gently pulled his arm down, holding it as he snuggled deeper into Ignis' side.

Some muffled noises that sounded almost like "five more minutes" came from the depths of the blankets, and the adviser smiled to himself, closing his eyes again.

Ok.

Five more minutes.

 **I thought I would be nice and give Prompto a break in this one. He's hard to write, since you have to skate that line between "child like" and "childish". I hope I do him a little justice. Anywho, till next time!**


End file.
